Will Birds prefer a hidden Bird feeder or an exposed Bird feeder?
Introduction:I came up with the idea because I have two bird feeders at home! I wondered if I could use them both. Turns out I can! One feeder is behind my deck. It's behind tree's and bushes, and on a pole up high. The other feeder is in the front of my house across from the front porch. There are flowers and plants below it, but nothing that close to it.
Please Turn Your Head Will birds prefer a hidden feeder or an exposed feeder? Hypothesis:My thinking is, Birds will choose the hidden feeder over one in the open.
Reasoning:Being exposed makes you vulnerable. Being hidden away will give the birds more options towards predators. If the birds are hidden, They have more places to hide and more distractions for predators. What I mean by open, it's out in the open, not hidden behind trees and bushes etc. It will be easier to find the feeder in the open, That's why I am so torn on what my hypothesis should be. But I am sticking with my gut. Birds like to be close to their natural habitat, while getting food.
Materials:I will use: -Two bird feeders -Bird seed -Notes and pictures -Measuring cup -Camera
Procedure:First, I will fill each feeder with 3 cups of bird seed. As well as watching the feeders everyday, after 5 Days for 15 days total, I'll empty the feeders into a measuring cup. That's how I'll know which feeder has less seed. I then will make sure I can watch the birds in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Everyday, for about 2 weeks. I'll record details and observation in notes, then apply my notes to here.
Variables:My independent variable is the birds eating the seeds, and my dependent variable is the seed that has been eaten. My Control variable is the same seed in each feeder.
First 5 days, exposed: 1/2 cup left, 2 1/2 cups of seed was eaten out of 3 cups. First 5 days, hidden: 2 cups left, 1 cup was eaten out of 3 cups.
Notes: Obviously, it is easier for the birds to see the feeder in the open. But it seems like after a little while, birds starting coming in all directions. It has been raining non-stop, for 12 days now. But the rain has stopped, and now the birds have become more comfortable with my area.
Second 5 days, exposed: 1/4 cup left, 2 3/4 cups of seed eaten out of 3 cups. Second 5 days, hidden: 0 cups left, 3 cups eaten out of 3 cups.
Notes: Now that the rain has stopped, birds are coming way more often. At all times of the day they come. By facts, you can tell the birds are more interested in both feeders. These past 4 days the birds ate up the seed closest to their habitat! Yay! That's my hypothesis!
Third 5 Days, exposed:1/4 cup left, 2 3/4 cups of seed eaten out of three cups. Third 5 Days, hidden: 0 cups left, 3 cups eaten out of three cups.
Notes: Again like last week, the results were very, very similar. This was my last week collecting data for the experiment. My hypothesis was incorrect. But the exposed feeder was out in the open. It's easier to see since the birds were unaware about the feeder hidden. Pink = week one Grey = week two Blue = week three First column = exposed feeder Second column = hidden feeder Total Data:The total 15 days of the experiment, the exposed feeder had a total of 1 cup of bird seed left. And the hidden feeder had a total of 2 cups left.
Conclusion: The Hidden feeder was very close behind the exposed, but the exposed had one less cup of seeder left. The weather was probably not as great as it could be, and that is why I think birds didn't want to go super far for food. They wanted to be sure there was food there and they didn't want to explore. I think with more time as the birds could become more aware of the hidden feeder, my hypothesis would be supported. But this is a realistic project of how birds find their food.
Will Birds prefer a hidden Bird feeder or an exposed Bird feeder?
Introduction: I came up with the idea because I have two bird feeders at home! I wondered if I could use them both. Turns out I can! One feeder is behind my deck. It's behind tree's and bushes, and on a pole up high. The other feeder is in the front of my house across from the front porch. There are flowers and plants below it, but nothing that close to it.
Please Turn Your Head
Will birds prefer a hidden feeder or an exposed feeder?
Hypothesis: My thinking is, Birds will choose the hidden feeder over one in the open.
Reasoning: Being exposed makes you vulnerable. Being hidden away will give the birds more options towards predators. If the birds are hidden, They have more places to hide and more distractions for predators. What I mean by open, it's out in the open, not hidden behind trees and bushes etc. It will be easier to find the feeder in the open, That's why I am so torn on what my hypothesis should be. But I am sticking with my gut. Birds like to be close to their natural habitat, while getting food.
Materials: I will use:
-Two bird feeders
-Bird seed
-Notes and pictures
-Measuring cup
-Camera
Procedure: First, I will fill each feeder with 3 cups of bird seed. As well as watching the feeders everyday, after 5 Days for 15 days total, I'll empty the feeders into a measuring cup. That's how I'll know which feeder has less seed. I then will make sure I can watch the birds in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Everyday, for about 2 weeks. I'll record details and observation in notes, then apply my notes to here.
Variables: My independent variable is the birds eating the seeds, and my dependent variable is the seed that has been eaten. My Control variable is the same seed in each feeder.
First 5 days, exposed: 1/2 cup left, 2 1/2 cups of seed was eaten out of 3 cups.
First 5 days, hidden: 2 cups left, 1 cup was eaten out of 3 cups.
Notes: Obviously, it is easier for the birds to see the feeder in the open. But it seems like after a little while, birds starting coming in all directions. It has been raining non-stop, for 12 days now. But the rain has stopped, and now the birds have become more comfortable with my area.
Second 5 days, exposed: 1/4 cup left, 2 3/4 cups of seed eaten out of 3 cups.
Second 5 days, hidden: 0 cups left, 3 cups eaten out of 3 cups.
Notes: Now that the rain has stopped, birds are coming way more often. At all times of the day they come.
By facts, you can tell the birds are more interested in both feeders. These past 4 days the birds ate up the seed closest to their habitat! Yay! That's my hypothesis!
Third 5 Days, exposed: 1/4 cup left, 2 3/4 cups of seed eaten out of three cups.
Third 5 Days, hidden: 0 cups left, 3 cups eaten out of three cups.
Notes: Again like last week, the results were very, very similar. This was my last week collecting data for the experiment. My hypothesis was incorrect. But the exposed feeder was out in the open. It's easier to see since the birds were unaware about the feeder hidden.
Pink = week one Grey = week two Blue = week three
First column = exposed feeder Second column = hidden feeder
Total Data: The total 15 days of the experiment, the exposed feeder had a total of 1 cup of bird seed left. And the hidden feeder had a total of 2 cups left.
Conclusion: The Hidden feeder was very close behind the exposed, but the exposed had one less cup of seeder left. The weather was probably not as great as it could be, and that is why I think birds didn't want to go super far for food. They wanted to be sure there was food there and they didn't want to explore. I think with more time as the birds could become more aware of the hidden feeder, my hypothesis would be supported. But this is a realistic project of how birds find their food.
Bibliography:
http://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/attracting-birds/plants-and-trees-that-attract-birds/
http://www.graphics20.com/category/funny/funny-birds/page/2/
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/where-to-put-your-bird-feeder/
https://www.superfunnyimages.com/funny-birds-battle-picture/